NEW FRANKLIN — Over 70 real estate agents representing the five existing Keller Williams (KW) Chervenic Realty offices and the sixth office, opening in Boardman later this month, participated May 8 in the sixth Annual RED Day “Give Where You Live” initiative, the national project of Keller Williams International dedicated to “Renewing, Energizing and Donating” to their local communities.

The KW Chervenic group chose Camp Quality Ohio, located at Craftsmen’s Park, which serves children with cancer from all over the state, to ready the facility for the upcoming season. Camp Quality Ohio serves approximately 200 children with cancer and their families throughout the year, including an average of 75-95 weeklong campers each year.

“What the Keller Williams Chervenic agents accomplished for us today directly impacts the camping experience for the children we serve,” said Executive Director Kerri Franks. “We do as much as we can with volunteer help. … Above all, because of the volunteer aspects, including the hundreds of hours necessary to get the camp ready each spring, the kids and a sibling, if the camper needs extra support, participate free of charge, which is critical to families often overwhelmed with medical bills.”

The program is supported by a number of fundraisers in the area including, among others, Green Kick-Off for the Cure, Portage Lakes Polar Jump and the Army-Navy Garrison. All Camp Quality events are free.

Campers play games, fish, boat, enjoy crafts and swim, along with typical evening programs and campfires. Additional activities include learning how to make videos and attending prom. A special event at each year’s camp is the Remembrance Service, acknowledging friends who have lost their battles with cancer. The campers have asked for several years for a Memory Garden — a request the Keller Williams Chervenic agents were able to accommodate this year.

In six hours, the group was able to create a Memory Garden from turning the soil to stepping stones and mulch, stain a deck, paint the inside of a store, vacuum and clean out 11 cabins, paint the inside of one cabin, paint two shelters, redo the front entrance to the park, landscape several areas of the park, sort and pack crafts for activities, organize prizes for the camp store, paint signs, cut up logs for a future fence-building project and pick up leaves.

“We had so much fun and thought the cause was so important that many have already suggested going back next year,” noted Karen Weisner, the chair of the KW Cares Committee. “We spent six hours of time and about $700 to clean up a park for little campers who fight for their lives every day. Seems so little, but believe me, it will seem like so much to them. Kids notice everything!”

The Keller Williams Chervenic team was supported by several of their business partner affiliates, including Village Title Agency, which provided a continental breakfast; Epic Insurance and First Federal of Lakewood, which brought lunch and beverages for the volunteers; Vans Moving, which donated a $200 gift card to help defray the costs of supplies and plants; and Doug Lawson, with Rite Rug, who volunteered his day out at the camp.

“RED Day is built on the belief that people can and should come together to achieve extraordinary things to help others,” commented Team Leader Carla Ponikvar with Keller Williams Chervenic. “We can’t tell you what an impact it makes on each of us personally to participate in this day each year. Throughout the year we are participating in our local communities; RED Day is a catalyst for us to all come together for a common cause. And this was truly a special cause.”

Since the first RED Day in 2009, Keller Williams associates have given almost a half million hours of community service through activities ranging from food and blood drives to cleaning up trash in public parks, revamping gardens at nursing homes and rebuilding homes and schools for community members in need, according to company officials.